Encinitas Won't Close Portion of Cornish Drive

Janet Wilkens March 13, 2013 at 12:48 am

What the heck for?

Michele Jacquin March 13, 2013 at 03:35 pm

No sure "what the heck for" means.
I went to the meeting. Keep open because: Around 1700 cars per day use that road northbound per staff report. Those cars would add to the other 1700 or so cars that go straight on San Elijo and stop at Santa FE by the new underpass, try crossing that intersection at 5pm to watch the sunset! If the road closes the city has to spend money to do something else with it. If it does nothing than it is abandoned to the adjoining property owners. Gee, how nice, a huge chunk of ocean view land for FREE (taxpayers get nothing). The largest adjoining private owner is SRF on both sides of the road. SRF wound have a very large property on which to build, thus adding to more traffic. Zoning may not restrict the impact of such construction. RELIGIOUS orgs. are allowed to sue if they are denied based on the RELIGIOUS LAND USE AND INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS ACT 42 U.S.C. 2000.

Daniel Woolfolk (Editor) March 13, 2013 at 05:09 pm

Hi Michele,
Thank you for posting! I wasn't able to make this meeting, but I am working on a follow-up.

Michael Wigton March 13, 2013 at 06:26 pm

If they want a closed street, they should move to an already closed street. Our tax dollars paid for it--did they even offer to reimburse the city?

Michele Jacquin March 13, 2013 at 07:55 pm

Since I missed the first 15 minutes, I do not know who the parties are who have proposed this closure. That said, there were apparently only 2 accidents on that section in 10 years. Hardly a safety issue.
There will eventually be a parking problem in that area in the summer due to the new underpass. It would be foresighted if the city made that section of Cornish one way northbound and used the resulting space to put in diagonal parking. It is obvious that the residential streets around the underpass will be used by beachgoers. Too bad SANDAG did not provide the money for improvements to parking in that area. It's always about money and who pays.

Deb Bicher March 14, 2013 at 11:48 pm

It's been many more than ten years since the 'no left turn' sign went in, so that we are no longer allowed to go south on Cornish off Santa Fe. It was a shock when the sign went up, but it always was difficult to try to blend into the southbound San Elijo traffic, the topography making it nearly impossible to see the oncoming southbound cars. I think that's why there have only been 2 accidents in ten years -- there were many more before the sign. As it is now, the only people who can legally go south on Cornish are those who are already on Cornish on the north side of Santa Fe, who can cross Santa Fe and continue south. Those of us who live on any of the streets off Santa Fe use the northbound lane to get home from Cardiff and points south.
I think the idea of one northbound lane, using the rest for diagonal parking is great. To be honest, I hadn't even considered the potential parking problem, which would affect my neighborhood nearly as much as Cornish, because we are all so excited that we can actually LEGALLY walk to the beach after 40-some years of being scofflaws! I understand is that when the land was given to the SRF by a benefactor, it was stipulated that they were not allowed to develop it, with a very few exceptions. Why do you think that it is not covered with condos? SRF has been a good friend to the City of Encinitas for over 80 years and we are very, very lucky to have them as landowners in our town.

Michele Jacquin March 15, 2013 at 03:03 pm

Thanks Deb for your thoughts on the closure of Cornish. I live up by D street and Cornish and am one of the few that drive across Santa Fe. Frankly, I hope that you and your neighbors are NOT affected by a summer parking problem as inland people discover the underpass. i an not saying that SRF has NOT been a good neighbor. I have live in N. County since 75. How could they not be a good neighbor? its been used as a farm. What I wish to point out is that legally they would have a huge property on which they could build further church buildings. They would have the legal right to build. Right now the two smaller pieces give them less flexibility. You as a neighbor would have less rights to protest the traffic impact due to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (federal law). This law has made religious organizations exempt from local zoning rules that would apply to secular organizations. I am just trying to raise awareness of this issue for those of us who have appreciated this open space for years. I am not anti-SRF. My late husband was comforted by their visits during his dying from cancer. I think that the Cornish/Santa Fe/San Elijo area is potentially a hot button issue in the next 10 years. Hope to meet you walking to the beach! Michele